1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nebulizer kit, and more specifically relates to a nebulizer kit that causes compressed gas to physically act on a liquid so as to generate and discharge an aerosol containing particles of the liquid.
Also, the present invention relates to a nebulizer provided with such a nebulizer kit, and a compressor that supplies compressed gas to the nebulizer kit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Nebulizers are used in inhalation treatments in which an atomized drug solution is allowed to directly act on the nasal cavity, upper respiratory tract, bronchial tubes, and the like. For example, a compressor-type nebulizer (jet-type nebulizer) disintegrates a drug solution using compressed air in order to atomize the drug solution, and generates and discharges an aerosol containing droplets (particles) of the drug solution.
Conventionally, as this type of nebulizer and nebulizer kit, there is a nebulizer composed of a nebulizer kit that generates an aerosol and a main body including a compressor for supplying compressed air to the nebulizer kit, as indicated in JP 2013-132472A, for example.
FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a conventional nebulizer body and a nebulizer kit disclosed in JP 2013-132472A. A nebulizer 2000 includes a main body 510, a compressed air pipe portion 512, a nebulizer kit 1000, and a mouthpiece 500. The main body 510 is equipped with a compressor that supplies compressed air to the nebulizer kit 1000 via the compressed air pipe portion 512 coupled to a compressed air vent 511, electronic components, and the like.
FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the conventional nebulizer kit 1000. The nebulizer kit 1000 includes a particle sorter 1100, a flow path forming body 1150, a suction route forming body 1200, and a case body 1300.
The case body 1300 includes a compressed air introduction pipe 1313 through which compressed air G is introduced from the nebulizer body, and a liquid storage portion 1316 that stores the drug solution, and a nozzle hole 1315 is provided on an upper distal end portion 1313a of the compressed air introduction pipe 1313.
A suction route forming portion 1220 is provided on the suction route forming body 1200 in a state of being recessed from near the liquid storage portion 1316 to near the nozzle hole 1315, and near the nozzle hole 1315, the suction route forming portion 1220 and the outer wall of the compressed air introduction pipe 1313 of the case body 1300 form a liquid suction port 1240 from which the drug solution is discharged.
The flow path forming body 1150 is attached to the case body 1300 so as to cover the case body 1300, and includes an outer air introduction hole 1180 through which outer air A is introduced, an aerosol discharge port 1170, and an upper tube-shaped portion 1164.
The particle sorter 1100 includes a lower tube-shaped portion 1110 that guides an aerosol M1 upward, four blade portions 1140 that are provided above the lower tube-shaped portion 1110 and are curved and turn as the upper side is approached from below, and a central shaft portion 1130 that supports the four blade portions 1140.
With the conventional nebulizer kit 1000 having such a configuration, the compressed air ejected in the upward direction in the drawing from the nozzle hole 1315 causes negative pressure to occur near the liquid suction port 1240, whereby the drug solution stored in the liquid storage portion 1316 is sucked up into the suction route forming portion 1220 due to the effect of the negative pressure, and the drug solution is discharged from the liquid suction port 1240. The drug solution discharged from the liquid suction port 1240 is disintegrated by the compressed air ejected from the nozzle hole 1315, and after being disintegrated into fine particles, the drug solution is mixed with the compressed air to form an aerosol M1, which has an approximately upward momentum.
The aerosol M1 rises in the lower tube-shaped portion 1110 and advances to the region in which the blade portions 1140 are provided. Particles of the drug solution contained in the aerosol M1 that have large particle diameters attach to the blade portions 1140, and the blade portions 1140 change the flow of the aerosol into flows of aerosols M2a, M2c, and the like, which travel upward in the form of spirals.
The flows of the aerosols M2a, M2c, and the like, which travel upward in the form of spirals, are mixed in the upper tube-shaped portion 1164 to become an aerosol M3 having an approximately upward momentum, and are discharged from the aerosol discharge port 1170.
However, the conventional nebulizer kit has the following problems. Detailed description will be given with reference to FIG. 19.
FIG. 19 is an enlarged perspective view of the particle sorter 1100 of the conventional nebulizer kit 1000. Due to physical interaction with the four blade portions 1140 of the upper tube-shaped portion 1120 of the particle sorter 1100, the upward component of the momentum is reduced and a horizontal momentum is applied to the aerosol M1 having the approximately upward momentum as described above, thereby creating the flows of the aerosols M2a, M2b, M2c, and M2d, which rise in the form of spirals. In this case, the aerosol M1 first collides with the blade portions 1140 at an approximately perpendicular angle, and thereafter rises in a spiral shape while repeatedly colliding with the blade portions 1140, and therefore a considerable portion of the upward momentum energy needed to reach the aerosol discharge port 1170 (FIG. 18) is lost due to the mechanical interaction between the aerosol M1 and the blade portions 1140. In other words, the conventional nebulizer kit 1000 is configured to impede the flow of the aerosol in order to adjust the particle diameter of the drug solution contained in the aerosol, and for this reason, the efficiency of using compressed air has remained at a relatively low level.